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12/29/2009 11:35 AM

Moderate Democrats Want to Drop Cap-And-Trade

SustainableBusiness.com News

Moderate Senate Democrats have begun urging the White House to give up on a cap-and-trade climate change bill in 2010, according to Politico.

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) is one of at least a half-dozen who do not want to take up the divisive issue in an election year after the battle over health care legislation has split voters.

Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) suggested working on an energy bill without cap-and-trade, an idea that has surfaced many times in the last six months.

Senator Joe Lieberman (Ind-Conn.) insists to the two measures must go hand-in-hand. He's working on a bipartisan draft bill with John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

However, Politico notes that Kerry suggested flexibility on cap-and-trade in comments he made in Copenhagen: "I can't tell you the method or the means or amount by which we might price carbon," he told reporters. "We haven't resolved that issue yet.”